1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pick-up style utility vehicle having a front seat, rear seat, and a cargo bed in this order from the front of the vehicle; and a screen shield partitioning the cargo bed and a riding space surrounded by a cabin frame in front of the cargo bed. More particularly, it relates to the pick-up style utility vehicle in which the cargo bed can be expanded in a front direction so as to optimize an area or capacity of a cargo bed space or a passenger space according to user demands.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, utility vehicles of various styles are used. Other than a pick-up style utility vehicle with a relatively large cargo bed behind a seat, there is a straddle-type all terrain vehicle having a handle bar, or the like.
Typically, the pick-up style utility vehicle is more practical than the handle bar type utility vehicle belonging to the straddle-type all terrain vehicle. The pick-up style utility vehicle is used for hunting in fields and mountains, conveyance of lumber, movement on golf courses, golf course maintenance, and the like.
The present applicants have developed other inventions relating to the pick-up style utility vehicle with a cargo bed whose area or capacity can be expanded. Their applications have been filed, which are, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,905,159, 6,994,388, and 7,249,798.
A configuration of the pick-up style utility vehicle disclosed in the respective documents has a front seat including a driver's seat, a rear seat, and a cargo bed in this order from the front of the vehicle. The rear seat can be changed between a used state and a retracted state to switch between a 2 passengers transformation and a 4 passengers transformation. In the 2 passengers transformation, a front portion of the cargo bed can be expanded into a riding space occupied by the rear seat in the used state.
Typically, a screen shield is provided at the front end of the cargo bed of the pick-up style utility vehicle so as to prevent a load loaded on the cargo bed from moving into the riding space in front of the cargo bed. The position of the screen shield can be changed between the 2 passengers transformation expanding the cargo bed in a front direction, and the 4 passengers transformation not expanding the cargo bed.
FIG. 17 shows an example of the expandable cargo bed disclosed in the related art documents. A cargo bed 400 has a stationary bottom plate 401, right and left stationary side panels 402, a pair of right and left expandable side panels 404 provided at the front ends of the stationary side panels 402 and rotatably supported about hinge shafts 403, an expandable bottom plate 405 provided at the front end of the stationary bottom plate 401, and a front panel 406. A screen shield 407 is integrally formed with the front panel 406.
Pins 410 are provided at the right and left ends of the screen shield 407 for positioning and fixing. The pins 410 protrude in a downward direction. Pin insertion holes 411 and 412, into which each of the pins 410 of the screen shield 407 can be inserted, are formed in the upper surface of the end of each of the expandable side panels 404 and the upper surface of the front end of each of the stationary side panels 402.
As indicated by the solid lines in FIG. 17, when the expandable side panels 404 are closed (4 passengers transformation), the screen shield 407 is located at the front ends of the stationary side panels 402 and the pins 410 of the screen shield 407 are inserted into the pin insertion holes 412 of the stationary side panels 402 from above. As indicated by the imaginary lines, when the expandable side panels 404 are opened in a front direction (2 passengers transformation), the screen shield 407 is located at the front ends of the expandable side panels 404 and the pins 410 of the screen shield 407 are inserted into the pin insertion holes 411 of the expandable side panels 404 from above.
With the above configuration, the screen shield 407 can be moved between an expanded position when the cargo bed 400 is expanded and a non-expanded position when the cargo bed 400 is not expanded. The screen shield 407 must be lifted together with the front panel 406 to pull out the right and left pins 410 from the pin insertion holes 411 or 412. The screen shield 407 and the front panel 406 are then moved together in a rear or front direction. After the movement, the pins 410 are again inserted into the pin insertion holes 412 or 411 from above.
However, the integral front panel 406 and screen shield 407 are made of metal and are heavy. The width of the screen shield 407 extends over substantially the entire left-right width of the cargo bed 400. Therefore, it is very hard for one person to move the screen shield 407 together with the front panel 406. At present, the left and right ends of the screen shield 407 and the front panel 406 need to be held and lifted by two operators to pull out the pins 410, and after this movement, the pins 410 need to again be inserted into the pin insertion holes 411 or 412. The process of moving the screen shield 407 takes a long time.